Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرٍو ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الْأَصَمُّ أنبأ الرَّبِيعُ قَالَ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ ؓ إِنَّمَا مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا لَمْ يُحَلَّلْ أَنْ يُنْصَبَ عَلَيْهَا الْحَرْبُ حَتَّى تَكُونَ كَغَيْرِهَا فَقَدْ أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عِنْدَمَا قُتِلَ عَاصِمُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ وَخُبَيْبٌ بِقَتْلِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ فِي دَارٍ بِمَكَّةَ غِيلَةً إِنْ قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَذَا فِي الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي كَانَتْ فِيهِ مُحَرَّمَةً فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهَا لَا تَمْنَعُ أَحَدًا مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَّهَا إِنَّمَا يُمْنَعُ مِنْ أَنْ يُنْصَبَ عَلَيْهَا الْحَرْبُ كَمَا يُنْصَبُ عَلَى غَيْرِهَا
English Translation
Abu Sa'id ibn Abi 'Amr informed us, Abu al-'Abbas al-Asamm narrated to us, al-Rabi' narrated to us. Al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The meaning of that — and Allah knows best — is that it was not made permissible to wage war against it openly so that it would be treated like any other place. The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered — when 'Asim ibn Thabit and Khubayb were killed — the assassination of Abu Sufyan in a house in Makkah by stealth if possible. This was at a time when Makkah was still sacred. This indicates that its sanctity does not prevent carrying out what is obligatory upon a person, and that the prohibition is only against waging open warfare against it.